Clinical Psychologist Salary

The clinical psychologist salary in the United States stands at $73,798. The mean pay for this job in Canada is C$77,226 ($56,327 USD), while the pay for those in the United Kingdom is £39,290 ($50,775 USD).
For clinical psychologists in Australia, mean earnings stand at AU$72,877 ($53,503 USD), while the clinical psychologist salary is CHF87,021 ($87,099 USD) in Switzerland and NOK594,000 ($68,420 USD) in Norway.

Clinical Psychologist Salary Influencers

Compensation for clinical psychologists turns on factors such as the work setting, whether the employer is private, public or self, and of course experience. Those in private practice, especially where there are not national or governmental standards for billing, can set their own charges for services.

1. Industry

Clinical psychologists populate various work settings, such as hospitals, clinics, community treatment centers, corrections facilities and private practices. The median pay for clinical psychologists in hospitals is $81,740 as of May 2016, compared with $75,670 in the offices of mental health practitioners.

In the United States, approximately a third of clinical psychologists were self-employed as of 2014. According to Job Bank, approximately half of them work for themselves in Canada.

2. Geographical Area

Clinical Psychologist Salary

US

Canada

UK

Australia

Switzerland

Norway

Hourly Wage

$48.57

C$45.57

£18.88

AU$47.21

CHF41.83

NOK263.65

Annual Wage

$73,798

C$77,226

£39,290

AU$72,877

CHF87,021

NOK594,000

Clinical Psychologist Salary in the US

PayScale reports $73,798 as the mean pay for clinical psychologists in the United States. So, the hourly rate stands at $48.57, while the total pay runs from $46,587 to $123,938 per year.

Clinical Psychologist Salary in Canada

According to PayScale, clinical psychologists in Canada have a mean pay of C$77,226, with an hourly rate of C$45.57. While the total pay runs from C$48,275 to C$142,504 annually.

Clinical Psychologist Salary in the UK

The clinical psychologist salary in the United Kingdom is £39,290 annually, while the total yearly pay ranges from £26,411 to £66,910.

Clinical Psychologist Salary in Australia

PayScale says the mean pay for clinical psychologists in Australia stands at AU$72,877 per year. While these professionals are compensated between AU$51,175 and AU$122,694 per year.

Clinical Psychologist Salary in Switzerland

As reported by SalaryExpert, clinical psychologists in Switzerland earn a mean pay of $87,099, meaning CHF87,021 per year.

Clinical Psychologist Salary in Norway

Statistics Norway does not publish salary information specifically for clinical psychologists. However, the site states that psychologists earn a median pay of NOK49,500 per month. Therefore, on an annual basis, the pay stands at NOK594,000.

3. Experience

Overall, clinical psychologists earn higher pay with more work experience. For entry-level clinical psychologists in the United States, the median pay is $69,000. While those with five years of experience earn a median pay of $78,000 and those with ten years make as much as $90,000. Beyond 20 years of experience, the median rises to approximately $93,000.

In Canada, the median pay for a new clinical psychologist is C$73,000. It rises to C$88,000 at five years of experience, inches to C$91,000 at ten years, then reaches C$100,000 after 20 years.

Clinical psychologists in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service earn between £26,565 and £35,577 as trainee clinical psychologists. Following the training, clinical psychologists advance from Band 6 to Band 7, at which salaries range from £31,696 to £41,787 per year. As consultants, clinical psychologists in the National Health Service typically earn between 47,092 and 69,168, in the Band 8b and Band 8c scales.

For entry-level clinical psychologists in Australia, the median is AU$72,000 and rises to AU$82,000 after five years experience. Median pay goes to AU$94,000 at ten years of experience and reaches AU$96,000 after 20 years of experience.

Clinical psychologists in Switzerland earn a mean entry-level salary of CHF57,500. The mean level lifts to CHF106,610 at “Senior Level.” SalaryExpert reports entry-level clinical psychologists have a mean pay of NOK426,319. While the mean salary for the senior level is NOK790,426.

Working Hours

Generally, clinical psychology constitutes full-time work. Clinical psychologists typically hold regular, daytime and weekday hours, especially in government, business or industrial settings. Those in private practice or consulting generally set their own hours and may work evenings or weekends to accommodate clients’ work and other commitments. Irregular shifts, including nights and weekends, may be more common in hospitals and residential treatment centers.

Canada’s “Job Bank” groups clinical psychologists in the broader category of psychologists. Approximately 62 percent of psychologists work full-time, which is below the 81 percent of workers overall who are on full-time status. In the United Kingdom, the typical work week lasts 37.5 hours.

According to the Australian Government’s “Job Outlook,” approximately 57.5 percent of psychologists, which includes clinical psychologists, work full-time. Those who work full-time log 37.3 hours per week, compared with 40.2 hours per week for full-time workers overall in Australia.

Bonuses & Benefit Packages

Within certain employers or locations, clinical psychologists may receive signing incentives or bonuses, especially in underserved areas. For instance, Newfoundland in Canada includes clinical psychologists among health professionals who qualify for signing bonuses. In some places, clinical psychologists may receive bursaries for education by agreeing to serve a minimum period of time in certain areas. According to Payscale, bonuses in Canada can reach up to C$7,255.

In the United States, bonuses reach $10,124. While in Australia, bonuses ascend to AU$6,040, while the mean bonus for Swiss clinical psychologists is CHF2,664.

Compensation packages may include profit sharing and commissions for those in private practice. According to PayScale, clinical psychologists in the United States earn $37,500 on average from commissions and as much as $4,750 from profit-sharing plans.

Job Outlook

The aging population, trauma of war and increased awareness of conditions such as autism will spur the need for clinical psychologists.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a rise of 20 percent in the employment of “Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists” through 2024. This translates to 30,500 additional professionals in this field. While openings for psychologists in Canada should number 10,000, with 8,800 job seekers for those openings.

“Job Outlook” reports that, as of November 2015, Australia had 23,400 psychologists. By November 2019, the profession could have between 10,001 and 25,000 job openings in the country.

Conclusion

Salary prospects for clinical psychologists should grow with experience and the ability to find and retain clients. Bonuses and incentives await those who practice in underserved areas. You can also read about the psychologist salary.

Mental conditions of an increasingly aging population and awareness of mental illness may support demand for clinical psychologists. That signing bonuses and incentives are offered evidence the shortage of clinical psychologists in many geographic locations.